HURSTVILLE mayor Con Hindi rolled up his sleeves and wielded a mop to tackle the products of antisocial behaviour in public places — namely chewing gum and spit.
He was making a point that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated, especially after the pavers were replaced and the area beautified.
But before any fines are imposed, the council will roll out a community education campaign to discourage such behaviour.
The disgusting state of the streets was brought to Cr Hindi's attention during a recent inspection of Forest Road to determine what works needed to be carried out as part of the council's initiative to revitalise Hurstville CBD.
"During this tour, I was greatly disappointed to observe the instances of spitting and spitting of chewing gum," he said.
"Not only is this practice unhygienic, it also greatly detracts from our vibrant streetscape as evidenced by the amount of chewing gum stuck on street furniture and footpaths.
"As you can appreciate, removing this type of litter is a costly exercise for council."
The campaign involves brochures at schools reminding students to dispose of chewing gum — and any other litter — thoughtfully, and street signage in public places.
At the end of the education program there will be a three-month moratorium before the council imposes a $110 fine on people caught spitting in public places.
Cr Hindi said it was important to do something about the problem as the council was continually investing in its infrastructure and the prevalence of spitting tarnished the work.
"The revitalisation of Forest Road will include new pavers, lighting, garbage bins, landscaping and street furniture," he said.
Is Cr Hindi on the right track with his no spitting campaign?
